Author: Isabella Taylor
AI-driven exploits and cross-chain flaws have pushed crypto security risks into focus in 2026, experts at CertiK warn, with losses already crossing $600 million. Summary Crypto losses have crossed $600 million in 2026, driven largely by major exploits linked to North Korean actors. A $293 million Kelp DAO breach tied to LayerZero infrastructure failure and a $280 million Drift Protocol hack accounted for most April losses. Security experts warn that AI-driven phishing, deepfakes, and automated exploit tools are making attacks faster and harder to detect. According to the blockchain security firm, attackers have leaned on a mix of social engineering,…
Former FTX CEO Sam Bankman-Fried has withdrawn his Rule 33 motion that sought a new trial in his criminal case. Summary Bankman-Fried withdrew his Rule 33 motion but kept his appeal and reassignment request in court. He told Judge Kaplan he wrote the letter himself after consulting his parents and lawyers. The former FTX chief still challenges his conviction, sentence, and Kaplan’s role in future rulings. The filing was made in the US District Court for the Southern District of New York, where he told Judge Lewis Kaplan that he wanted to withdraw the request for now rather than continue…
Iran’s Revolutionary Guard seized two container ships in the Strait of Hormuz on April 22, hours after President Trump extended the ceasefire with Tehran indefinitely, while confirming the US naval blockade of Iranian ports would remain in place. Summary Iran’s Revolutionary Guard seized two ships in the Strait of Hormuz and fired on a third, citing maritime violations. Trump extended the ceasefire with Iran to allow for further peace talks but kept the US naval blockade active. Brent crude surged past $100 per barrel following the incidents, adding pressure to global energy markets and crypto assets. Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard…
North Korea’s Lazarus Group has launched a new macOS malware campaign called Mach-O Man that uses fake online meeting invitations to trick crypto and fintech executives into executing malicious commands on their own devices, according to blockchain security firm CertiK. Summary Lazarus Group’s new Mach-O Man campaign uses fake meeting invites to lure executives into pasting malicious terminal commands on their Macs. The malware auto-deletes after execution, making the breach nearly impossible to detect through standard forensic methods. CertiK links the same Lazarus push to over $500 million stolen from DeFi platforms Drift and KelpDAO in the past two weeks.…
Kraken says it filed 56m 2025 crypto tax forms, most under $50, and is urging Congress to create a de minimis exemption and let users defer tax on staking rewards until sale. Summary Kraken says it filed 56 million digital asset tax forms with the IRS for 2025, with roughly one‑third under $1 and nearly three‑quarters under $50. The exchange is urging Congress to create a de minimis exemption for small crypto payments and to let taxpayers choose when to recognize staking rewards as income. Kraken argues current rules create “massive friction for ordinary users” and misalign tax timing with…
A $290 million exploit on KelpDAO’s cross-chain bridge on April 18, attributed by LayerZero to North Korea’s Lazarus Group, sent shockwaves through DeFi and erased more than $13 billion in total value locked across protocols within 48 hours. Summary Attackers drained 116,500 rsETH worth approximately $290 million from KelpDAO’s LayerZero-powered bridge on April 18 in 2026’s largest DeFi exploit to date. LayerZero has attributed the attack with preliminary confidence to North Korea’s Lazarus Group, specifically its TraderTraitor subunit. The fallout triggered over $13 billion in outflows from DeFi platforms including Aave, which froze rsETH markets on both its V3 and…
US Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer has resigned from the Trump administration amid an active inspector general investigation into misconduct allegations, making her the third cabinet member to depart during the president’s second term. Summary Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer resigned on April 21 amid an inspector general investigation into alleged travel fraud, an inappropriate relationship with a security staffer, and other misconduct. Deputy Labor Secretary Keith Sonderling has been named acting secretary while Trump’s team determines a permanent replacement. Her departure is the third cabinet exit of Trump’s second term, following former Homeland Secretary Kristi Noem and former Attorney General Pam…
Crypto protocols have lost more than $606 million to hacks and exploits in just the first 18 days of April 2026, making it the single worst month for theft in the industry since the $1.4 billion Bybit breach in February 2025, according to data from DefiLlama. Summary Over $606 million was stolen from crypto protocols across 12 incidents in the first 18 days of April 2026, according to DefiLlama data. Two attacks, the $285 million Drift Protocol exploit and the $292 million KelpDAO breach, account for approximately 95% of April’s losses. April’s total is already 3.7 times larger than the…
Bitcoin climbed above $78,000 on April 22, reaching its highest price in 11 weeks, as a wave of short liquidations and improved macro sentiment following Trump’s ceasefire extension combined to push the asset to a key technical level that had resisted multiple breakout attempts. Summary Bitcoin broke above $78,000 on April 22 for the first time in 11 weeks, with CoinGlass data showing approximately $180 million in short liquidations clustered above the level. The move coincided with improved risk sentiment after Trump extended the Iran ceasefire, alongside a broader altcoin rally led by higher-beta assets. Analysts warn the move is…
Shares of American Bitcoin, the Trump family-linked mining company, surged approximately 12% on April 22 after the firm announced it had completed the deployment of 11,298 new ASIC miners at its Drumheller, Alberta site, expanding its active fleet to roughly 89,242 machines. Summary American Bitcoin deployed 11,298 new ASIC miners at its Drumheller facility, adding 3.05 exahash per second of capacity and pushing total hashrate to 28.1 EH/s. The stock jumped approximately 12% to $1.38 on the news, extending a broader recovery as Bitcoin prices climbed. The expansion reinforces American Bitcoin’s decision to double down on Bitcoin mining while many…